Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-10-27
ABOUT THE HARVEST.
EXPLANATORY NOTES BY REV. GEO.
P. HAYES, D. D., L..


lage reading the Bible and teaching the
truth, they are only following their Masters
own example.
Verse Sc says that mankind then were not
different from the present time. Amid all
the various philosophical and ceremonial
schools Of religious worship then proposed,
many became discouraged and many turned
away without saving faith. If we have been
born into the likeness of the Savi0urs spirit,
we too shall feel the same compassion which
he felt
Workmen needed-The figure used by
Christ in the thirty-sixth verse is changed to
one equally vivid in verses 81 and SO. We
now look upon field ripeniDg for the har-
vest If we now get discouraged because the
more mission work is done She more there
seems to be to do, we must remember that it
was just so with the Saviour
That under such circumstances he should
urge his church to prayer is simply falling in
with the ordinary religious experience.
L. hardly lies consistently in the lips Of
those who will not contribute to the support
Of these laborers to offer this prayer that
laborers should be sent forth. The truth Of
modern times is that there are far more
young men and women anxious to go forth
than the church is willing to furnish the
means to send As l write this, there lies BE-
fore me an appeal from student of theology,
saying that thirty men will go to the foreign
field if the church will open the way.
Il. Disciples made apostles-The word
disciple means a "learner," and the word
apostle means zone sent" Christ had hitherto
had many disciples. Out of these, in accord
ance with the petition of the preceding chap
ter, he was now to select certain ones who
SI,D 11aS fr,fr 81,
vineyard as his representatives to do his work.
vs. "a Catalogues of the apostles-There
are four lists of the twelve apostles-Matthew
Z, Mark iii, Luke xvi and Acts l. In each
case the same four apostles are first named,
with Peter first in this list. The same four
i'll all the lists form the second group, and
Philip is always first in this second four.
Four others constitute the last group, with
James uniformly the first of this four and
Judas Iscariot last of all. 1t must be clear,
therefore, that whatever Importance attaches
to Peters place, like relative Importance
must attach to both Philip and James. Judas
is always last, and is omitted in the list
given in the Acts because at that time he was
dead.
OF some of these disciples we have very full
accounts given. Interesting biographies can
be written of Peter and James and John. OF
others, however, almost nothing at all Is
known as to their work These unknown
apostles may have been thoroughly faithful
in the obscure lot to which they were called.
John and Peter had very serious faults to
answer for.
vs. 5, 6. Missions to the Jews-In Luke
xiv, Al, and in Acts i, 8, the church, after
the resurrection, was instructed to begin at
Jerusalem Here the same order is given in
the form of @go rather to the lost sheep OK
the house of Israel"
Y. Z. The apostolic message-The mes
sage which these apostles were to utter and
the manner of uttering it are both given.
The kingdom of heaven, in all the benefcence
of its salvation and all the certainty Of its
Judgment, was TO be announced as close at
hand, and therefore demanding immediate
and earnest attention. This was to be accom-
panied by all forms of temporal blessing.
The proclamation of the gospel and the relief
of the body were to go hand in hand.
VS.. Freely give-The last clause Of this
lesson is to be interpreted in connection with
verse 10 of the same chapter. The real point
in the "freely give" is an exhortation to min
isters and people to spread the gospel every
where. We are ourselves the descendants Of
those converted from heathenism through
missionaries sent out by the early church. We
are as much bound to support the gospel when
it is part Of our spiritual growth as we are
bound to pay for our own houses and daily
bread. We are as much bound to send it to
others as to send food to the starving and
shelter to the shelterless.
SUGGESTIVE APPLICATIONS
Y. sc. He was moved with compassion
The mission of Christ on earth was prompted
by tender, loving pity for the lost With
similar love and tenderness we may now be-
ieve that he now looks abroad upon the null
titudes in our land and in other lands who
are wanderers from God, and who have no
spiritual shepherd. To his disciples now be
would say, @The harvest is plenteous, but
the laborers are few" II the harvest WIS
great then, it is even greater now There
are more children outside Of the Sunday
school in the United States than there were
twenty years ago. Yet this is the age, and
ours the country, of the greatest Sunday
school activity. There are more non-church-
goers in our country today than there were
twenty-five years ago, and Sabbath desecra-
ton is marching on to a crisis
V. SS. Pray ye therefore-The secretaries
and managers of benevolent societies are
more apt to pray the Lord to send more
money rather than more laborers. There is
probably not single missionary society.
home or foreign, which has not now more la
borers offering to be sent than there is money
to provide for tue sending of them. Now the
Lord never calls man to do work for him
without at the same time providing a way
for the man to do it.
V. s. Freely ye have received, freely give
With what bountiful hand the redeemed
soul has received the favors of the Lord he
will never know until he comes into the
presence of his King and the life beyond.
That he is ever likely to give with that free
dom with which he has received can scarcely
be expected of fallen human nature even
when RENEWED and refined by grace. Yet the
command stands Whoever comes nearest
to giving with that bountiful hand with
which he has received will come nearest TO
the fulfllment Of this command of the Lord
HINTS FOR PRIMARY CLASSES.
What is the harvest Who are the
laborersl
When the wheat on a farm is ripe, men
cut it down, tie it into sheaves or bundles,
beat out the grain and store it for use. This
is called harvesting the wheat, or the wheat
harvest. When the grain is ground at the
mill it makes -four, and from the flour bread
and cake are made for children and others to
eat What sad thing it would be to have
no wheat harvestl Suppose the wheat was
grown and ready for the harvest, but no men
could be found t. cut it, or thresh it, or grind
it, how useless the wheat would be, and every
one would be without bread as much ~
though there had been no wheat II the
harvest should be great, but the laborers,
few, much grain would be lost This is true
of all harvests.
Read v. IS. As Jesus did all these things.
and everywhere saw Rultitudes of poor and
suffering people that needed help and such
labor as he was so kindly and 50 generously
he said to his disciples: ''The bar
vest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are
few Then he gave his disciples an order,
which is for US also. BE said: ''Pray for
more laborers.r That is pray for more
Christian workers, who will preach the gos-
pei TO the people of the earth.
He appointed twelve men to be his apos-
ties or head workers. Of there Is time teach
the names OF the twelve. Their names might
be given as a lesson to learn at home. In tbs
scholars Hand Book" prepared by the
Rev. L. W. Rice, D. D., the names are
grouped in three classes and printed over the
number II. 1t might be clearer to the little
folks to print them around the I2, three on